Introduction to Location Lighting
© Kevin Scanlon
Mastering the skill of lighting on location takes a lot of planning in addition to technical savy. Photographers must be capable of scouting a location, combining both natural and artificial light, and adapting to changes in physical space. This six-week workshop is designed to introduce these basic elements and expose students to some of the industry’s current trends and demands for shooting an assignment on location. Traditional and basic lighting set-ups will be discussed. Light modifiers will be introduced such as umbrellas, soft boxes and grids. In addition, students will learn about a variety of situations, including large and small spaces, street scenes and people in and around the Venice Beach environment. Emphasis will be placed upon utilizing the surrounding environment to the photographer’s advantage, while blending creative uses of lighting techniques to shape the mood, style and feel of the photograph. The goal is to provide participants basic location lighting knowledge and the confidence to use natural and artificial light in various conditions.
Each class session brings a mix of hands-on experience and lecture on technical information in order to provide participants a solid base so they may support their own creative journey. All participants will have time to shoot and handle the equipment in class. Models will be provided. No prior experience in location lighting is necessary but students should be familiar with their camera and basic photography fundamentals
Kevin Scanlon (www.kevinscanlon.com) is an award-winning freelance portrait photographer. In 2001, he quit his day-job as a database administrator to become a professional photographer in Arizona, before moving to Los Angeles in 2003. His clients include LA Weekly, New York Times, Forbes, Time, and Virgin Records. His early work consisted primarily of music photography, and his images appeared on Weezer t-shirts and Jimmy Eat World album artwork. His recent LA Weekly covers have included portraits of Jodie Foster, Sean Penn, Cate Blanchett, and Tenacious D (Kyle Gass and Jack Black). He lives in Los Feliz with his wife, Shelley.
